Policy
Defense Policy Chief Ousted By White House
A Pentagon spokesman said he had “no information” that John Rood was fired for his role in Trump’s Ukraine scandal.
Policy
DHS to Waive Contracting Rules to Build Border Wall Faster
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf is using a 2005 law to override certain requirements.
Ideas
Trump Is Ill-Suited to Respond to the Coronavirus Outbreak
A crisis that is heading into its third month could draw out every personal and managerial failing that the president has shown to this point.
Defense Systems
Augmented reality headset stands out in Army 2021 budget request
The Army's is touting the deployment of new augmented reality goggles to combat troops as an example of the practical outcome of a relentless focus on modernization and zero-based budgeting.
Defense Systems
Esper: 'No pressure' from White House over JEDI
Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he "never felt pressure from the White House" on the Pentagon's $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure contract.
Defense Systems
JEDI delay impacts classified cloud provisioning
When a federal court hit the brakes on the Defense Department's Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure cloud program, it also slowed the testing and rollout of a new system that automates user authentication and security auditing for classified provisioning.
Exclusive
Science & Tech
Pentagon to Adopt Detailed Principles for Using AI
Sources say the list will closely follow an October report from a defense advisory board.
Policy
Will Trump’s Afghanistan Peace Deal Win Him Votes?
"I would not say that Afghanistan looms over American politics now the way that Iraq did,” said one analyst.
Threats
Graham Denies Threatening To Make Esper’s Life ‘Hell’ If He Cuts AFRICOM Troops
“No, I never said that,” Graham said in a brief phone call with Defense One. “It was a good conversation.”
Ideas
America Is Alone in Its Cold War With China
If the Trump administration is truly going all-in on competition with Beijing, it’s not clear that Trump himself is fully on board. Nor, it’s now clear, are several of America’s closest friends.
Ideas
Let's Use Peer Pressure to End Political Endorsements by Retired Generals
A review of more than 1,000 endorsements by former senior military officers shows that most are just favors for a friend.
Ideas
China’s Chernobyl Never Seems to Arise
Democracy is unlikely to break out in Beijing, but the coronavirus crisis may create an opening for a softer form of authoritarianism.
Science & Tech
Expect 75 Recommendations to Improve Security, Plus Proposed Laws, from Congress' Cyber Commission
Rep. Jim Langevin says he and his fellow commissioners will propose streamlining Congressional oversight, incident reporting by industry, and more.
Ideas
The Inconvenient Truth About ISIS
The group is even bigger now, and America’s conflict with Iran is only making the fight against it more complicated.
Policy
Esper Says White House 'Never' Pressured Him on JEDI
Denying claims that Trump meddled, Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he alone chose to review the $10 billion cloud contract.
Ideas
The Corrosion of World Order in the Age of Donald Trump
Can the world still work together to address today’s most pressing global challenges?
Threats
US Agrees to Reduce Forces in Afghanistan ‘If Taliban Live up To Their Commitments’
The tests will begin with a seven-day ceasefire to start “very soon,” a senior U.S. administration official told reporters.
Ideas